Imuran

"The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved soluble ferric pyrophosphate (Triferic, Rockwell Medical) to replace iron and maintain hemoglobin in adults with chronic kidney disease who are undergoing dialysis.

What is azathioprine (Imuran)?

Azathioprine lowers your body's immune system. The immune system helps your body fight infections. The immune system can also fight or "reject" a transplanted organ such as a liver or kidney. This is because the immune system treats the new organ as an invader.

Azathioprine is used to prevent your body from rejecting a transplanted kidney. It is also used to treat symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.

Azathioprine may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.

Azathioprine 50 mg-GG

oblong, yellow, imprinted with GG 210

Azathioprine 50 mg-ROX

round, yellow, imprinted with 54043

Imuran 50 mg

peanut, yellow, imprinted with IMU RAN 50

What are the possible side effects of azathioprine (Imuran)?

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Stop using azathioprine and call your doctor right away if you have any of these symptoms of lymphoma:

fever, night sweats, weight loss, tiredness;

feeling full after eating only a small amount;

pain in your upper stomach that may spread to your shoulder;

easy bruising or bleeding, pale skin, feeling light-headed or short of breath, rapid heart rate; or

What is the most important information I should know about azathioprine (Imuran)?

Do not use azathioprine if you are pregnant. It could harm the unborn baby.

Some people using azathioprine have developed a rare fast-growing type of lymphoma (cancer). This condition affects the liver, spleen, and bone marrow, and it can be fatal. This has occurred mainly in teenagers and young adults using azathioprine or similar medicines to treat Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis.

Call your doctor at once if you have any of the following symptoms: fever, night sweats, itching, loss of appetite, weight loss, tiredness, feeling full after eating only a small amount, pain in your upper stomach that may spread to your shoulder, nausea, easy bruising or bleeding, pale skin, feeling light-headed or short of breath, rapid heart rate, dark urine, clay-colored stools, or jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes).

Azathioprine can lower blood cells that help your body fight infections. Your blood may need to be tested often. Avoid being near people who are sick or have infections. Avoid activities that may increase your risk of bleeding injury. Tell your doctor at once if you develop signs of infection.

If you need to have surgery, tell the surgeon ahead of time that you are using azathioprine. You may need to stop using the medicine for a short time.

This medication can affect fertility (your ability to have children), whether you are a man or a woman. Talk with your doctor if you have concerns about this.

Do not receive a "live" vaccine while you are being treated with azathioprine and avoid coming into contact with anyone who has recently received a live vaccine. There is a chance that the virus could be passed on to you.